What does digital skills mean for Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency?

On the occasion of the eLearning Africa Conference 2022, a panel of members from Enabel, the Belgian development agency, will during various sessions, in line with the conference’s topic, address digital challenges on development, education and training. Before getting the chance to meet some experts of the delegation at the conference, take a sneak peak on their vision and activities related to digital for development.

But first, who is Enabel?

Enabel is the Belgian development agency. It implements Belgium’s governmental cooperation. The agency also works for other national and international donors, such as the EU. With its partners in Belgium and abroad, Enabel offers solutions to address pressing global challenges – Climate Change, Urbanisation, Human Mobility, Peace and Security, Economic and Social Inequality – and to promote Global Citizenship. With 2,000 staff, Enabel implements programmes in twenty countries, in Belgium, Africa and the Middle East.

Digitalisation as catalyst for development

Enabel defines Digital for Development as interventions that leverage digital to achieve sustainable development, by contributing to digital inclusion, strengthening fundamental rights and supporting the use of digital technologies to address global challenges. Based on Enabel’s expertise and experience, four pillars ensuring inclusive digital transformation have been identified: digital skills, digital rights, inclusive digital entrepreneurship and digital governance.

Digital skills in practice

Specific skills are needed to fully benefit from digital services and tools. A survey from the IFC highlights that some 230 million jobs across the African continent will require some level of digital skills by 2030. However, Africa faces a huge digital skills gap, which is diluting economic opportunities and development. This is why Enabel focuses on key actions in its programs to reduce the digital divide.

Digital skills for TVET in Rwanda: innovation and learnings

Enabel recognizes the importance of advanced digital and media literacy for education. The TVET system in Rwanda, for example, is focusing on 360° digitalisation. Enabel is working with Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) and the newly created Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) to cater to their needs in this new blended learning environment. The human factor is crucial in any digital transformation. Enabel supports therefore capacity building for teachers to ultimately empower them in the use of technology during blended courses, as such responding to the ministry’s challenges.

Both Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) and the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) digital learning platforms are strengthened through a workshop with an international consultant. A fresh and improved installation was performed on both of the servers and key stakeholders were trained in configuring, securing and maintaining the learning management system. The action is now in the process of developing and uploading learning content. Teachers and students will also be trained in the practical use of the platform.

The action supports the development of interactive digital content based on videos and interactive simulations and will develop one 360 video module. The approach follows a needs-based approach. Through workshops, interviews and focus groups with teachers and the private sector, with its partners, Enabel has identified key content elements that are challenging, lacking or time constraint through the TVET curriculum.

Furthermore the action will build 4 computer labs, with fablab features, in TVET institutions. The computer labs will allow students to access and use the digital content. The fablab (Fabrication Laboratory) equipment will allow be a good opportunity for testing of equipment or creating products without a high investment cost. For TVET students, this allows a crucial skill development for their future careers and can even initiate entrepreneurial thinking.

E-learning practices and digital skills support for ministries in Morocco

Focusing on the ability to define digital transformation strategies for the public sector, in partnership with local authorities, Enabel provides digital skills trainings for administrations and other public entities as well as coordination, implementation and evaluation of these. The e-TAMKEEN program, for example, focuses on the support of digital skills for strategic and operational public officers in Morocco. The intervention is focused on driving a process of change within public administrations with the aim of supporting the ongoing ethical, managerial, structural and digital transformations for a more effective and efficient management of public services.

The objective is to support administrations’ digital transformation thanks to trainings and other events – such as hackathons, bootcamps and workshops – on challenges previously identified according to the public officers’ needs.

e-TAMKEEN has launched a priority training cycle, which took place from June 2020 to October 2021. Afterwards, it started to implement its skills building framework to train Moroccan Administrations in Innovation, Digital communication, Cybersecurity, E-learning, Collaborative digital working tools, and much more. As of today, eTAMKEEN has trained 1300 public servants, among which 55% of women at central and local levels. In order to further its impact and reach strategic levels of administrations, the program has launched in 2022 an eLearning platform. It aims at building the platform and the digital courses in an innovative, collaborative and sustainable way.

Discover more about Enabel’s activities on the website.